Shears.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

W. WELGH.

SHEARS.

ll'nimno Smarts PATENT JFMCE.

\VILLIAM WELCH, OF MOSSPO INT, MISSISSIPPI.

SHEARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,384, dated April28, 1903 Application filed May 10, 1902. Serial No. 106,747. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that LVILLIAM VVELOH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moss'- point, in the county of Jackson and State ofMississippi, have invented a new and useful Shears, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates generally to shears, and more particularly to apair of shears particularly adapted for cutting fruit, the object beingto provide a pair of shears capable of severing the stem of the fruitand simultaneously gripping said stem at the time itis severed.

Another object is to providea pair ofshears of such construction thatthey may he manipulated with one hand for the purpose of cutting orsevering the stem, gripping the same, and depositing the fruit in theproper gatheringreceptacle.

With these objects in view the invention consists, essentially, of apair of cuttingjaws or blades provided with suitable operatinghandles,one jaw or blade being broadened to provide a gripping-surface, theother jaw being provided with a spring-actuated gripping-finger tocontact with the broadened portion of the opposing jaw for the purposeof gripping the stem and holding the fruit after the stem has beensevered.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction and novelcombination and arrangement of parts, as will be fully de scribedhereinafter, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a sideelevation of a pair of shears constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view illustrating theconstruction and arrangement of the gripping-finger and spring-platepressing thereon. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the broadenedcutting-blade. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing the relativeposition of the jaws and gripping port-ions. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view illustrating the ends of the gripping-finger and thepressing spring-plate, and Fig. 6 isa detail sectional View takenthrough the ends of said finger and plate.

In carrying out my invention I employ the cutting blades or jaws A andB, provided with handles A and B, respectively, by means of which thesaid jaws or blades are operated in substantially the same manner as theordinary pair of shears, said blades being pivoted at O in the usualmanner.

The blade B is made considerably wider at its upper edge and islongitudinally grooved or concaved, as shown at D, in order to pro videa wide gripping-surface. The grippingfinger E is attached to a lug E,carried upon the blade or jaw A, preferably at a point in the rear ofthe pivot, said gripping-fingerextending forwardly to the end of theblade or jaw A and normally contacting with the broad and concavedgripping-surface of the blade or jaw B when the cutting edgesof the saidblades are brought together.

A spring-plate F, attached to a lug F, also carried upon the jaw orblade A, presses at its free end upon the free end of thegripping-finger E, and in practice I prefer to provide the finger with apin E which works in the longitudinal slot F produced in thespring-plate F, said slot permitting the lateral movement of thegripping-finger and spring-plate upon each other.

In operation the jaws or cutting-blades are worked in substantially thesame manner as ordinary cutting blades or shears through the medium ofthe handles A and B, and as the cutting edges of the said shears orblades work past each other, as indicated in Fig. 4, the gripping-fingerE will press upon the stem which is being severed and bind it tightlyagainst the broad or concaved portion D, thereby securely holding thestem of the severed fruit between said finger and grippingsurface D, andwhile the fruit is so held it can be deposited in the basket or otherreceptacle by simply separating the jaws through the medium of thehandles, and it will be distinctly understood that these jaws are soconstructed and arranged that they may be manipulated with one hand forthe purpose of carrying out all of the various operations hereinmentioned.

The spring-plate F,constantly bearing upon the gripping-finger E, alwaysprovides a sufficient tension to grip the stem of the severed fruit, andby having a longitudinal slot in the end of said plate a limitedmovement of the gripping-finger and plate is permitted so as toaccommodate various sizes of stems.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

Adevice of the kind described consisting of a pair of pivoted cuttingjaws or blades, one of which is provided With a broad grippingsurfacelongitudinally concaved, a grippingfinger carried by the other jaw orblade, a

spring-plate carried also by the jaw or blade and bearing at its freeend upon the free end of the gripping-finger, said gripping-fin gercarrying a pin adapted to Work in the longitudinal slot produced in thespring-plate for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM WELOH.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL S. HENRY, LOREN A. MORRIS.

